2 Covina-Valley district employees arrested for having sex with high school students

COVINA, Calif. (KABC) -- Two Covina-Valley Unified School District employees were arrested Saturday on suspicion of having sexual relationships with students at South Hills High School.

Melody Lippert, 38, and Michelle Ghirelli, 30, were booked into Orange County Jail on $20,000 and $50,000 bail, respectively. They were scheduled to be arraigned on Wednesday.

In November 2014, Lippert, an English teacher at South Hills High School, allegedly provided alcohol to a group of male students at San Clemente State Beach and had sexual relations with one of the teens.

A few weeks later, Lippert organized an overnight camping trip at the same beach with Ghirelli, a district employee, and many of the same students. Both engaged in sexual relations with students. The event was not sponsored by the school.

The Orange County Sheriff's Department did not specify the type of sexual relationship involved, but Lippert was arrested for conspiracy and contributing to the delinquency of a minor and Ghirelli was arrested for oral copulation and unlawful sex with a minor.

Sheriff's deputies were tipped off Friday by the West Covina Police Department.

This comes nearly two weeks after the arrest of a part-time wrestling coach within the district.

Anthony Vidales, 29, of Covina was arrested on suspicion of a sex-related incident with a 17-year-old student. Vidales was a walk-on coach for the South Hills High School varsity girl's wrestling team.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with additional information was asked to call the Orange County Sheriff's Department at (714) 647-7000 or (714) 647-7418.